Device for locking knives in their scabbards



Oct. 31, 1950 v H. o, DAVIDSON, JR 2,527,710

DEVICE FOR LOCKING KNIVES IN THEIR SCABBARDS Filed Sept. 27, 1946 4 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 31, 19450 OFFICE-f -V DEVICE FOR LOCKING KNIVES IN THEIR SCABBARDS Harold 0. Davidson, Jr., Atlanta,l Ga.. Applica-tion September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,622`

3 Claims.

Generically this invention relates to a knife and scabbard or sheath therefor, but more especially it is directed to means adapted by positive action to lock the knife in the sheath until manually released, thus preventing loss of the knife. j

This is a companion application to the application for Device for Locking Knives in their Scabbards, executed even date herewith.

One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of a means for releasably securing a knife, such as a hunting, camping, or fishing knife, in its scabbard or Vsheath completely concealed when the knife is in the sheath and adapted to prevent accidental displacementv while being carried by a belt supporting medium or otherwise with consequent loss of the knife, is

prevented.

. A further object of this invention is the pro-A vision of another form of locking means embodying one or a pair of spring locking elements adapted to be positioned on the same side of the sheath or on opposite sides thereof for automatically and lockingly engaging the quillon upon sheathing of the knife to effect a double lock to 4prevent removal of the knife from the sheath unless manually released.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter 4morefully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like ycharacters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of which:

. Fig. 1 is a side view ywith parts broken away and in section of a sheathed knife showing my improved device in locking position.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

g Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

v Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the spring plate locking member.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modifled form of locking means.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of Fig. 5. i

Fig. '7 is a horizontal section taken on the lin 'I-T of Fig. 5 showing a locking member mounted on opposite sides of the sheath. j

Fig. 8 is a view of Vone of the locking members partly in section.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic reduced side view, similar to Fig. 5, showing a pair of locking members in locking position. f

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a knife I, comprising a blade 2, a handle or hilt 3, and a quillon or guard 4, and a sheath or scabbard 5, adapted to receive blade 2 of a knife as shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of the invention illustratedin Figs. l-4, inclusive, said sheath or scabbard 5 comprises, for the purposes of description, a top or front portion VI5, and a similar bottom or rear portion 1, of a configuration corresponding to that of the blade to be housed therebetween, formed of leather or other suitable material.'

A locking plate 8, in the present instance,A T- shaped, constructed of spring steel or other suitable material comprising a stem portion 9 which is slightly curved upwardly as at III and formed at its free end with a right angular bent up catch II and at the opposite end with a cross-head or cap portion I2 formed with a pair of openingsr I3. Said member 8 is secured to the under surface of top portion E with its free end extending slightly beyond or below the open end of sheath 5 and is attached to said member 6 by rivets I4.

superimposed on the inner surface of portion 6 and conforming in configuration thereto is a liner I5 and Which with portion 1 forms the blade receiving space or chamber I6 so that any possible contact of the knife with rivets I4 vis prevented. The circumscribing laminated edges fof said portions 6, 1, and liner I5, in the present i'nstance, preferably are united by a li'neof stitching I'I, but may be secured by lacing or otherwise. as desired. y y

Instead of rivets I4, if it is desired, locking member 8 may be secured to top 6 by a circumscribing row of stitching, with the exception'of the free end at the mouth of the lscabbardfor otherwise as desired. The quillon or guard `4 at a point in alignment with stem portion Q,Lwhen the knife is in sheathing position, is formed with an opening I8, and formed on the inner wall of said opening is an anchor catch I9 formed Awith a cam surface 20 so that as the knife is inserted in the sheath the lip or catch I I of the flat plate wherein to automatically lock it in'said sheath as" will be well understood. A belt loop 2| is suitably secured to scabbard 5 and attached to the rear Wall 'l in any suitable manner and by means of which the sheathed knife isV carried as will be well understood.

' Another form of the invention is shown in Figs. 5-9, inclusive, comprising a knife 22, including a blade 23, a handle or hilt 2li, and a quillon or guard 25, and a sheath 25, said sheath comprising an upper or'front portion 2, and a rear or back portion 28 conforming in configuration tothe blade 23, the overlapping meeting edges of members 2l and 28 being united by a line of stitching 29.

In order toiinterconnect or lock the knife when attached to thesheath or scabbard, a flat spring steel catch or locking strap-like member 30 formed with openings 3| adapted to receive rivets 32 is secured by .the latter to portion 2l' adjacent `one edge thereof. The lower end of said member :1

30 is slightly curved outwardly as at 33, downlwardly as at 34 and inwardly as at 35 to provide .the right angular` catch 36 and downwardly and .outwardly therefrom to form the cam finger rejleasepor-tion 3'! .so that in thecourse of sheathing ,shown in Fig. 7, in addition to member 3G secured to portion `2l (Fig. 5), another member 30 Vis secured to the opposite sheathed portion 28, and when it is desired to employ a double lock on the sameside ofthe scabbard, a pair of members 30 are secured by rivets 3 2 as shown in Fig. 9. A

.hand-or belt loop 38 is secured to member 28 by rivets 39,.

The operation of the different forms would seem to be sufficiently clear from the above description vas to warrant further explanation unj.'

necessary.

From the above itis apparent that my invention without in any way departing from the principle or scope thereof is utilizable in different forms, wherein a manually releasable locking lelementis carried by the scabbard adapted for locking engagement with the quillon orguard to secure the knife within the scabbard against yaccidental displacement and loss, adapted for utilization as an attachment without material modification to existing structures, yet simple in construction, manufacturable-at a negligible oost, `and eflicient for the purposes intended.

Although in practice it has been found that the form of the invention illustrated in the accom-* Vpanying drawings and referred toin the above' 4vdescription as the .preferred embodiment is the most eflicient and practical, yet realizing .that

-conditions concurrent with the `.adoption of the invention will necessarily vary, itzis desired tog 4 emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction,` proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or sacri; cing any of the principles of this invention. v

Having thus described the invention, what i-s` desired protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims:

Y .1. The combination with a knife including a guard formedwith an opening', an anchor catch within said opening, of a scabbard for said knife comprising opposite side members and a liner member, said members being united adjacent their opposite edges, a manually releasable resilient locking member intermediate said liner and one of said side members and secured to the latter, said liner and said other side member forming a blade receiving chamber, said resilient member terminating in a latching lip adapted for automatic locking engagement with said anchor catch to retain the knife in the scabbard, said locking member being completely concealed when Isaid knifeis in locked'position.

42. A knife 'assembly comprising, in combination, va knife including a blade, a handle, and a guard member' intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade completely enclosing the blad'egandhaving a contour corresponding to the blade, the said sheath having an upper wall and a lower wall, means peripherally securing the said walls together, a liner intermediate the walls and secured by the said peripheral securing means and longitudinally dividing the sheath interiorly into two compartments, one of which is a, blade-receiving compartment having a contour corresponding to the blade, the other compartment being a locking compartment, a resilientlocking strip in the locking compartment secured therein and having an end projecting therefrom, and a latching means on the projecting end ofthe strip, the said guard member on the knife having an opening therein aligned with the locking strip, the said opening having an inner wall Vdefining a cam-surfaced anchor catch adapted toengage the latching means on the said locking st rip and to actuate the latching means to cause the same to latch with the said anchor catch.

3. A knife assembly comprising, in combination, aknife including a blade, la handle, and a guard'member intermediate the blade and the handle, a sheath for the blade completely enclos- ,ing the blade andhaving a contour corresponding to the blade, the said sheath having an upper wall and a lower wall, means peripherally securing the said walls together, a partition member intermediate the walls and secured by the said peripheral securing means and longitudinally dividing the sheath interiorly into two separate compartments o ne of which is a blade-receiving compartment having e, contour corresponding to the blade, the other compartment being a locking compartment, a resilient locking strip in the locking compartment, means securing the strip to the adjacent Wall of the compartment, the said partition member maintaining the blade of the knife 'continuously out of contact with the strip, thesaid strip having an end projecting outwardly from the locking compartment, and latching means on the projecting end of the strip includin'g an upstanding latching lip, the said guaid member Von the knife having an opening therein aligned with the locking strip, the said opening lhaving an inner wall defining an anchor catch for Iengaging the latching means on the strip, and

a cam surface for the anchor catch adapted to engage and to displace the said strip as the knife approaches the limit of its sheathing movement and causes the latching lip of the strip to snap into latching engagement with the anchor catch in the said opening.

HAROLD O. DAVIDSON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Silberman Sept. 28, 1875 Number Number Number 

